On Sun, 19 Jun 2016 23:50:06 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Jun 2016 16:03:12 +0700, John B.
wrote:

What is this "buffer" you frequently refer to? I understand "buffer"
but how does it relate to posts. I envision a block of memory
somewhere that has to be filled before the mail can be sent, but I
don't recall ever seeing a mail system that worked that way.

It's a writer's term. When writing a series of works, each of which
is supposed to be published on a particular day, it's a *lot* more
comfortable to work ahead than to pound something out at ten minutes
to deadline.

For a year or so I wrote a weekly column for the technical section of
the local newspaper and was forever getting e-mails from my sub-editor
saying things like "where's your story for the week". Every once in a
while I would get all virtuous and knock out several weeks writing and
than of course I'd loaf until I got another frantic "Where's your
column?" missive.

I didn't start posting until I had about three months of buffer --
then winter closed in, and I stopped adding new posts to the buffer,
and by spring it was gone. But I sometimes get two ideas in one ride,
and often take more than one ride a week, so up until this week the
column has continued.

I though that Winter was when everyone stayed home and knitted socks?
At least it was in up-state New Hampshire when I was a lad.

I probably won't have time to write anything this week, because this
coming Saturday is the Day of Caring, when I teach embroidery to
children -- or, in some cases, mount a piece of cloth on which a baby
has scribbled with Sharpie markers under a parent's supervision. Hence
the purchase of beeswax at the farmers' market -- I suspected that my
spare piece was too big to carry in an Altoids box. I was pleased to
hear a child spontaneously say that the wax I bought was cute! (It's
shaped like a robot.)

When I was a kid embroidered "samplers" I think they called them, were
pretty common. Sort of "God Bless Out Happy Home" sort of things
framed and hung on the wall. But I suppose that is another lost art.

My wife makes most of her own clothes... mainly as a hobby, I guess
you'd call it. Occasionally someone at a party will ask her "Oh, where
did you get that dress?" When she replies, "I made it." people sort of
bug their eyes out as say things like "OH MY Goodness. You can sew?"
as though she just invented gravity. I find it sort of amusing as my
mother (I think she enjoyed it too) sewed. I think that all our wool
"winter" shirts were hand made.

On the same ride, I tried and failed to buy an eighth of a yard of
happyface-yellow broadcloth. All the yellows were subtle, one way or
another. So today I bleached a couple of scraps of taxicab-orange
linen, having noted that the jersey made from it got yellower with
exposure to the sun. And while typing this, awk scrickle, my packet
of floss-for-children doesn't include black. And there is no black in
the stash. I put my darkest skein of navy blue into the
embroidery-gig packet in case I can't stop at Lowery's on my way to
the dentist on Thursday.

Can you buy an eighth of a yard of fabric? Here fabric is sold by the
yard or meters only. Which confuses me no end as it also comes in at
least two standard widths :-) So, if you take this material it is two
meters and that one is three :-)

"Embroidery floss" is like "German silver" or "shank's pony": it's a
type of loosely-spun cotton originally intended to be a cheap
substitute for silk floss. It's so poor at that that few people know
why it's called "floss", but quite good for decorating things that
don't have to stand up to wear.

On the ride before that ride, I had another awk-scrickle moment in
Walmart when I saw a display of glue sticks. There are no glue sticks
in the drawer under the sewing machine, and I suspect that I've thrown
them away.

After buying a glue stick, I read my check list!

I make up "shopping lists". I keep a clip board and when I think of
something I write it down. It is surprising, one will think, "Oh I
better buy one of those" and if you don't write it down immediately
then next time you come back from the store you will remember it. Just
as you carry the bags in the front door :-)
--
cheers,

John B.